Columbia Sportswear Launches Recycling Programme
Columbia Sportswear Co. has unveiled a used clothing and footwear programme that will collect goods in over 100 stores across the US.
The sportswear brand will make contributions to non-profits each time items are dropped off at its stores. The ReThreads programme looks to reduce the 32 billion pounds of clothing, shoes and other textiles that are discarded each year.
Columbia’s Rethreads programe encourages consumers to bring in their used clothing and shoes in clean, dry condition, to participating retail stores to be given a new life.
Columbia said the items account for more than 6% of the municipal waste stream. The average American throws away 81 pounds of textiles each year.
The average American throws away approximately 70 lbs. of clothes per year. That’s a lot of stinky socks. #ReThreads https://t.co/7NNLYDZFUy pic.twitter.com/bHIpF0lHwt
— #TestedTough (@Columbia1938) August 11, 2017
The unincorporated Washington County company will donate $1 for every pound of clothing collected at its stores through 10th September. The beneficiaries are the American Hiking Society, the National Park Foundation and the Children and Nature Network.
“The issue of clothing ending up in landfills is a significant problem, and we want do our part to help conserve our material resources and reduce our collective carbon footprint,” said Scott Welch, a Columbia corporate relations manager.
